I have to say congratulations ...
Question: I have to say congratulations to
Stargate SG-1 for reaching 200 episodes, a milestone for any show. But my question now is: In a world of Internet, downloads and increased competition, will any other shows reach that 200-show mark? I mean, does
Grey's Anatomy have the staying power of
Stargate? Even though I love both shows, I don't believe it does.
Answer: Before anyone criticizes Geoff, this question came in before
Stargate's cancellation was confirmed. It's even more timely now, don't you think? It's an excellent question, and one that really got me thinking, because there are so many considerations at play. For a regular series to hit 200 episodes, that usually means it must stay on the air for 9 to 10 seasons, depending on the number of episodes ordered per year. Given today's more cluttered TV environment, I have to think it may be even
more likely for certain sorts of shows to hit the 200-episode mark. If they've broken through and become a franchise, the networks will do anything possible to keep them around, especially in an environment that's all about network "branding," which requires brand names. For instance,
CSI is going into its seventh (already!) season this fall, and I can't imagine the show disappearing until well after the 10th season has come and gone (though maybe not with the entire original cast). Same with many of the procedurals (
Law & Order: SVU is going into its eighth season), if they continue to be as popular with the audience as they are now. Also, animated comedies from
The Simpsons to
South Park can keep going as long as their creators feel like it. But to address
Grey's Anatomy specifically, and serialized dramas in general: I doubt it has
Stargate's (or
Law & Order's or
CSI's) "staying power." The show is burning so bright right now that it's only a matter of time (I'm thinking the magical five-season mark) before it naturally begins to diminish and, more to the point, before some of the principal cast will be tempted to move on. Unlike
ER, which might have been well advised to call it quits a few years ago, I don't see
Grey's evolving into a show about Seattle Grace Hospital, regardless of who's wearing the scrubs. This is
Grey's Anatomy, meaning Meredith and her friends. I don't see them doing this 10 years from now. As I always like to say: Enjoy it while it lasts. (And that goes for shows like
Lost, which I imagine will have to wrap things up in a few seasons, if only because fans are so impatient for answers and resolution.)
